When you hear the word “Duke”, you just think of the basketball team, right? Or maybe Duke medicine, if you are like my husband and me who have them to thank for saving his life. But, if I were to say that the campus of Duke University is most known for a place called The Sarah P. Duke Gardens, you might say, “WHAT?” When my husband and I had to live in Durham for his radiation treatment in 2015, we did visit the garden. But that was almost 12 years ago and things have changed a lot.
After walking around, I decided to look up how this beautiful garden originated. Well, the last name of Duke is everywhere in Durham. We stay at the Washington Duke Hotel and Golf Course. There is a bro
ther hotel across the street called The JB Duke. And of course, Duke University and Duke Medicine are all within walking distance of each other. Who are these Dukes? Washington Duke was a farmer and industrialist who gave lots of money for medicine and education. This was pretty early on–like the mid 1800s. His son, James Buchanan Duke gave millions to Duke University; his wealth came from tobacco and his role in electric power. Ever hear of Duke Energy? When he donated such a large amount of money, the school changed its name to Duke University –it was originally named Trinity College. By the way, all the Dukes are buried in the chapel at Duke University. That too is something everyone should see if they visit Durham. I always say “hi” to them in the Duke crypt every year.
So who was Sarah P Duke? She was the wife of Benjamin Duke and his father was Washington Duke. He too gave lots of money to the establishment of the university. His wife, Sarah loved gardening and donated $20,000 to start The Duke Gardens. It was put in her name in 1939. Although it suffered flooding issues early on, her daughter, Mary, took the reins and reestablished the 55 acres. From then, it has morphed into quite the sanctuary and something that proves to be calming and very Zen-like.
When I was walking through the gardens, I immediately felt a sense of peace. Yes, it was very lush green and beautiful, but I noticed just how peaceful it was with the people there. It was like everyone had respect for nature. Kids weren’t running around; there was no refuse anywhere to be seen, and it definitely made you want to move to a climate that houses such beauty. All I know is that if I attended Duke ( uh…get ready to pay at least $94,000/year), I would hang out at the Duke Gardens all the time. I would still major in English Literature and have my copy of Henry David Thoreau’s “Walden” in my hand. ( My eighth graders should know this). I would find a quiet place to sit, make sure I have a wonderful view, sip my Starbucks and become one with nature. Doesn’t sound like a bad day at all!
